Options for structuring sector-level ICT cooperation and governance

author: Eric Kluijfhout, eric.kluijfhout@gmail.com

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Options for structuring sector-level ICT cooperation and governance

Eric Kluijfhout

Towards an ICT Strategy for the Ethiopian Higher Education SectorAddis Ababa, 24-25 November 2009

Ministry of Education of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia&

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands

When does sector-level cooperation work?

When all involved profit!

Reasons for IHEs to cooperate at sector-level

• Shortage: share or exchange scarce resources• Efficiency: address common problems - solve

once, implement many• Interoperability: develop and operate a

shared infrastructure• Create clout: strengthen common position

Reasons for Government to delegate to sector-level

• Ownership: problems are best addressed at the level where they occur

• Academic autonomy: separation of responsibilities

• Lack of capacity: qualitative and/or quantitative

Conditions• Quality assurance• Financial transparancy

Cooperation model dimensions

• Who defines the service to be developed/ delivered?

• Who receives the services?• Who supplies the services?• Who pays for them?• Who monitors and formally accepts upon

delivery - is responsible for quality assurance?

Some governance models

• Government agency• Delegated responsibility• Self-organisation• Mixed model

Government agency

The sector-level governance mandate is vested in a Government agency, possibly (a Department of) the Ministry of Education. The main advantages of this option are its proximity to strategy development, decision making and budgeting process; and the fact that financing and staffing is in the same hand. Potential pitfalls are a focus on control instead of innovation, and aloofness from the real problems ‘on the ground’ (bureaucracy).

Delegated responsibilityThe mandate for sector-level ICT issues is vested in an independent body. This body will most likely be financed by Government, and its Board may comprise representatives from both Government and the universities. The major advantage of this option is the independent – and thus in theory impartial – position which allows it to balance the interests of both the Government and of the HEIs. The main pitfall here is the tendency of such agencies to become inward looking and bureaucratic, and lose sight of their service function.

Self-organisation

In this option the HEIs self-organise the ICT governance structure at national level. The major advantage of this option is its proximity to, and understanding of, the real problems ‘on the ground’. Potential problems are a) financing this structure, and related to this b) the differences in ICT maturity between the HEIs; and c) the lack of ICT staff to function at sector level while they are already spread thin in their own HEI.

Options for self-organisation in the HE Proclamation

• Article 58, sections 1-10 (Forum of public institutions)

• Article 88, sections 7, 9, 11, and 12 (Powers and duties of the Ministry)

• Article 93, sections 1 and 2 (Outsourcing of services )

Yesterday’s priority areas

• Setting up a sector-level Governance infrastructure• Joint capacity building, developing the knowledge

infrastructure• Internet services & technical platform coordination• Applications infrastructure, standards & joint

development• Sharing information, experiences & expertise• Fund raising & supporting the new universities• Interconnectivity to share resources for learning and

teaching

Dilemma

Disparity between the old and the new universities.

Any proposal on a structure for sector-level coordination should therefore address:a)How the old universities can benefit from cooperation among themselvesb)How the new universities can benefit from cooperation among themselvesc)How the old and new universities together can benefit from cooperation

Today’s assignment

1. Propose a governance structure that will facilitate sustainable sector-level cooperation in ICT, meeting the needs of a), b) and c) above.

2. Indicate specific activities from the seven priority areas that are especially relevant for:a) Cooperation between the old universitiesb) Cooperation between the new universitiesc) Cooperation between the old universities and the

new universities3. Report in the plenary meeting, preferably

through a PowerPoint presentation